Mike Richards

A shutout victory might look dominant on the scoreboard, but the Kings' players and coaches saw room for improvement after Tuesday night's 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks. Mike Richards, who scored midway through the second period, did not like the way his team started out, with San Jose forcing most of the action in the first 10 minutes. "They had a lot of time to make plays," Richards said. "At the beginning of a series, it sometimes feels like you're trying to feel out people, but luckily it didn't cost us. " The Kings not only managed to score at the end of the first period, they also found a rhythm in the second and shut down a Sharks power play that has been very effective in this postseason.

From Philadelphia -- Two weeks ago, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was hailed as one of the NHL's best two-way players and a prime candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Around the same time, Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards was touted as a modern-day Bobby Clarke for his one-goal, two-assist performance in the Eastern Conference clincher against Montreal, a showcase of his grit, timely scoring and playmaking.

Justin Williams might have saved the Kings in Game 7 with his two goals against the San Jose Sharks in the last round, but suddenly the savior was sounding like a sage on Monday. Sage … with a hint of Yogi Berra. "It's not do-or-die tomorrow, but it is," Williams said. Dropping the first two games of the Western Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks put the Kings in a tenuous position heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night at Staples Center. The players weren't backing off the notion that the season is on the line.

Were they grasping at straws or coaxing small embers into becoming flames when the Kings repeatedly pointed out that their best players played better in the team's third straight playoff loss to San Jose than in the first two defeats? Better, in this case, is a relative term. And despite a more intense and effective effort by the top players who must carry the load, the Kings still lost, 4-3, in overtime. Now, they must defeat the Sharks on Thursday at Staples Center to avoid being swept - and to prolong a season that only a few weeks ago held great promise for another long postseason run. "It's a good opportunity for us to show - everybody's kind of writing us off right now - a good opportunity to show how resilient we are right now as a group," forward Mike Richards said Wednesday after the Kings' optional practice in El Segundo.

The Kings have reached a linchpin moment in their quest to defend their 2012 Stanley championship. The trailed the Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1, in the Western Conference final heading into Game 4 at Staples Center on Thursday night. A Blackhawks lead leaves the Kings on the bad side history. The Kings have trailed, 3-1, in a playoff series 11 times. Only once have they rallied and advanced. The Kings won three consecutive games against the Edmonton Oilers in 1989. In five of those series, the Kings have lost in five games.

With two of their best players -- Mike Richards and Jeff Carter -- injured in the last three games against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Kings say they must be smart about exacting revenge. "Yeah, well, I think within the rules, we've got to take care of those guys," winger Kyle Clifford told reporters at the team's training site in El Segundo on Wednesday. Richards, who has a history of concussions, has remained on the sideline since taking a hard hit near the end of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Kings 2, San Jose 0 (end of regulation) Home-ice advantage is something a little unfamiliar to the Kings. But they might get to like it. Starting their first postseason series at home since 1992, the Kings defeated the San Jose Sharks, 2-0, in the first game of the Western Conference semifinals. BOX SCORE: Kings 2, San Jose 0 The win marked their first shutout of this postseason and the first time they had lead by more than a goal. But it did not come easily.

For the Kings, it was almost like a carbon copy of their previous victory over the Florida Panthers this season. Close enough. This time, it was goalie Jonathan Quick with the 4-0 shutout against the Panthers, not Ben Scrivens, who pulled off that feat in a 3-0 Kings victory at Florida on Oct. 13. The win marked a career achievement for Quick -- his 172nd victory with the Kings, passing franchise legend Rogie Vachon. Vachon, in fact, was on hand at Staples Center on Saturday afternoon for the moment, a nice touch.

Dwight King didn't need to go through the exercise of exit meetings with the Kings staff in June to know what needed to happen next for his fledgling career. It was, of course, totally up to him. The left wing processed what went right and what went wrong in the lockout-shortened 48-game season. Unfortunately, there was much more of the latter than the former. But just as vital was taking another step back and thinking about the 2011-12 season, his breakthrough campaign. "Obviously, you go to the summer time and review what was effective for me before," King said.

Jeff Carter , acquired by the Kings from Columbus on Thursday for Jack Johnson and a conditional first-round draft pick, did not participate in the Kings' morning skate but is expected to be in the lineup when they face the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday evening at Staples Center. A club spokesman said Carter had arrived in Los Angeles on Friday night and had to pass a physical and wait until the NHL processed all the paperwork from the trade. The spokesman said no complications were anticipated that might keep Carter from playing and that Carter would meet the media - including two Canadian TV networks - before the 5 p.m. game.